Ice making and unfreezing control device for an ice-making machine

ABSTRACT

An ice making and unfreezing control device for an ice-making machine includes a compressor, a condenser, an electric magnetic valve, a dryer, a vaporizer, a liquid reservoir and a temperature sensor. The vaporizer has its underside provided with plural ice-making rods. The temperature inductor is positioned on the exit pipe of the vaporizer. By so designing, ice blocks can be made quickly, and when the temperature of the exit pipe of the vaporizer, detected by the temperature sensor, reaches the set value of unfreezing temperature, all the ice blocks will be separated from the ice-making rods, and the unfreezing work will be stopped and the electric magnetic valve will be turned off. Then, shoveling of the ice blocks begins and next cyclic ice-making work proceeds, able to quickly make ice blocks with a same size and shape and convenient to carry out unfreezing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an ice making and unfreezing control devicefor an ice-making machine, particularly to one composed of a compressor,a condenser, an electric magnetic valve, a dryer, a vaporizer, a liquidreservoir and a temperature sensor. The vaporizer has its undersideprovided with a plurality of ice-making rods, disposed with an entrancepipe and an exit pipe. The temperature inductor is assembled on the exitpipe of the vaporizer. By so designing, ice blocks can be made quicklyand during ice unfreezing, when the temperature sensor detects that thetemperature of the exit pipe of the vaporizer reaches the set value ofunfreezing temperature, it indicates that all the ice blocks arecompletely separated from the ice-making rods. At this time, theunfreezing work is stopped and the electric magnetic valve is turned offand, after shoveling of the ice blocks, next cyclic operation of icemaking will proceed, able to quickly make ice blocks with a same shapeand size, and convenient to separate the ice blocks from the ice-makingrods.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Ice blocks are widely used in homes. They can be used for concoctingdrinks, freezing food or temporarily keeping food fresh, or even usedfor reducing a swelling or fever. A common method for making ice blocksin a family is to pour water into an ice-making box and then put theice-making box in the freezing compartment of a refrigerator for makingice blocks.

However, in addition to being used for making ice blocks, a familyrefrigerator is mainly employed for preserving food; therefore, in anice making process, the water in the ice-making box may absorb variousflavors of food in the refrigerator. In addition, it always takes a longtime to make ice blocks in a conventional family refrigerator and theamount of the ice blocks made in the refrigerator is limited, unable tomake ice blocks for immediate use.

Additionally, if there are no ice-making boxes for making ice blocks ina family refrigerator, other kinds of containers have to be usedinstead, but the ice blocks made in these containers are different insize and difficult to be separated from the containers, resulting inmuch embarrassment in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of this invention is to offer an ice making and unfreezingcontrol device for an ice-making machine, able to quickly make iceblocks of a same shape and size, and convenient to separate the iceblocks from the ice-making rods.

The ice making and unfreezing control device for an ice-making machinein the present invention includes a compressor, a condenser, an electricmagnetic valve, a dryer, a vaporizer, a liquid reservoir and atemperature sensor. The vaporizer has its underside provided with aplurality of ice-making rods and is disposed with an entrance pipe andan exit pipe. The temperature inductor is positioned on the exit pipe ofthe vaporizer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

This invention will be better understood by referring to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a disposition view of an ice making and unfreezing controldevice for an ice-making machine in the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vaporizer in the present invention;and

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an ice unfreezing flow process in thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of an ice making and unfreezing control drive foran ice-making machine in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2and 3, includes an ice-making circuit unit 1 composed of a compressor10, a condenser 11, an electric magnetic value 12, a dryer 13, avaporizer 14, a liquid reservoir 15 and a temperature sensor 16.

The compressor 10 is provided with an exit connecting pipe 100 and anentrance connecting pipe 101. The exit connecting pipe 100 is connectedwith the condenser 11 and the entrance connecting pipe 1 Olis connectedwith the liquid reservoir 15.

The condenser 11 has its entrance connected with a compressor connectingpipe 110 and an electric magnetic valve connecting pipe 111.

The electric magnetic valve 12 has its entrance connected with thecondenser 11 and its exit connected with a vaporizer connecting pipe 121for connecting the vaporizer 14.

The dryer 13 has one end connected with the exit of the condenser 11 andthe other end connected with a capillary tube 130 having its outer endlinked with the vaporizer connecting pipe 121 of the electric magneticvalve 12 and connected with the entrance pipe 140 of the vaporizer 14.

The vaporizer 14 has the other end provided with an exit pipe 141connected with the liquid reservoir 15 and has its underside providedwith a plurality of ice-making rods 142 extending in an ice-making watergroove (not shown). The temperature sensor 16 is positioned on the exitpipe 141 of the vaporizer 14.

The liquid reservoir 15 has its entrance 150 connected with thevaporizer 14 and its exit 151 connected with the compressor 10.

In operation of making ice, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, firstly, theice-making water groove of the ice-making machine is filled up withwater, and then start the compressor 10 to pump refrigerant into thecondenser 11. (The circulation direction of the refrigerant is shown bythe black arrows in FIG. 1 and at this time, the electric magnetic valve12 is turned off). Subsequently, the refrigerant is conveyed to thevaporizer 14 through the dryer 13 and the capillary tube 130 to let thewater around the circumferences of the ice-making rods quickly frozeninto ice blocks. After the ice blocks are completely frozen in shape,unfreezing work will begin to separate the ice blocks from theice-making rods.

During unfreezing, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the electric magneticvalve 12 is started to let the refrigerant, which is sucked in thecompressor 10 from the liquid reservoir 15, circulate along two routes,as shown by the black and the hollow arrows in FIG. 1. Since thehigh-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant pumped out by thecompressor 10 and passing through the electric magnetic valve 12 is in acomparatively large quantity and its heat energy is higher than that ofthe refrigerant passing through the capillary tube 130; therefore, itcan carry out unfreezing. When the temperature of the pipe of thevaporizer 14 rises and attains to an extent of unfreezing, the iceblocks can be separated from the ice-making rods 142. Simultaneously,the temperature sensor 16 will detect whether the temperature of theexit pipe 141 of the vaporizer 14 reaches the set value of unfreezingtemperature. If the temperature of complete unfreezing is set to be 25°C., when the temperature of the exit pipe 141 of the vaporizer 14,detected by the temperature sensor 16, is below the set value (<25° C.),unfreezing work will continue, that is, the high-temperature andhigh-pressure refrigerant will be continuously conveyed to the vaporizer14 through the electric magnetic valve 12. If the temperature of theexit pipe 141 of the vaporizer 14, detected by the temperature inductor16, reaches the set value (≧25° C.), it indicates that all the iceblocks are completely separated from the ice-making rods 142, and aftera delay of about 3 seconds, the unfreezing work is stopped and theelectric magnetic valve 12 is turned off. At this time shoveling of theice blocks begins and then next cyclic ice-making work proceeds.

The ice making and unfreezing control device of this invention isprovided with the temperature sensor 16 for inducing temperature andturning on or turning off the electric magnetic valve 12; therefore,unfreezing work can be really completed and ice-making work can becarried out smoothly.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been describedabove, it will be recognized and understood that various modificationsmay be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover allsuch modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. An ice making and unfreezing control device for an ice-making machinecomprising a compressor, a condenser, an electric magnetic valve, adryer, a vaporizer, a liquid reservoir and a temperature inductor, saidvaporizer having its underside provided with a plurality of ice-makingrods, said vaporizer provided with an entrance pipe and an exit pipe,said temperature inductor positioned on said exit pipe of saidvaporizer.
 2. The ice making and unfreezing control device for anice-making machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said compressor isprovided with an exit connecting pipe connected with said condenser andan entrance connecting pipe connected with said liquid reservoir, saidcondenser having its entrance connected with a compressor connectingpipe and an electric magnetic valve connecting pipe, said electricmagnetic valve having its entrance connected with said condenser and itsexit provided with a vaporizer connecting pipe connected with saidvaporizer, said condenser having its exit connected with said dryer,said dryer having the other end connected with a capillary tube, saidcapillary tube having its outer end linked with said vaporizerconnecting pipe of said electric magnetic valve and connected with theentrance pipe of said vaporizer, said vaporizer having its exit pipeconnected with said liquid reservoir.
 3. The ice making and unfreezingcontrol device for an ice-making machine as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe set value of unfreezing temperature of said vaporizer is ≧25° C.,and when the temperature of said exit pipe of said vaporizer, detectedby said temperature inductor, reaches said set value of unfreezingtemperature, it indicates that all the ice blocks are completelyseparated from said ice-making rods, and synchronously the unfreezingwork is stopped and said electric magnetic valve is turned off.